A Perfect Ending After All
A recent poll found that 64% of respondents think MLB Commissioner Bud Selig should reverse umpire Jim Joyce's incorrect call that ruined Armando Galarraga's perfect game. The majority here is wrong.
As a lawyer, I work in a profession where "human errors" can be corrected by the filing of appeals. But, its not that easy. The appeal process can be long, expensive and unpredictable. An appeal judge can follow the law, make new law (in some circumstances) or do something in the middle. None of this is good for baseball.
Yes, baseball now uses limited replay on home runs but that is it. Beyond this, where would replay end? Would the commissioner review balls and strikes? How about every close call? Every fan of every team has some bad call that they have always been angry about, that is part of sports.
Baseball has been referred to as the "perfect game." We know that Jim Joyce's call was less then perfect. But, without appeals and with the acceptance of human error what followed the bad call was more than perfect. An umpire apologizing for a mistake, the young pitcher acting with grace, a tearful moment when Galarraga brought up the lineup care the next day, and the crowd in Detroit cheering for all of them.
All of this is better then the Commissioner Selig acting as an appeal judge from his office and all this sportsmanship should find its way to Cooperstown where it belongs.
My name is Christopher Fusco. I am the managing partner of Callahan & Fusco, LLC with offices in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.